Broken Coda
by Team Broken
Summary: AU. Years after the defeat of Aizen's forces at Fake Karakura Town, Ichigo tries his best to provide a normal life for his son. However, it won't be as easy as he thinks.
1. Memories in the Rain

"Oi, Ishida!" Ichigo Kurosaki called, suddenly appearing in his office. "I'm going to need some time off tomorrow."

Uryuu only sighed, not taking his eyes from the papers on his desk. "Is this how you always intend to treat your superiors?" He paused. "What is it this time, anyway?"

"Just got a hell butterfly from Soul Society," he replied, watching Uryuu's grip on his pencil tighten. "Said they're sending someone to crash at my house again, and I don't really want to leave her alone with Shinichi."

"'Her'? You know who they're sending, this time?" Uryuu mentally ran through a list of all the female shinigami he knew, coming up with many that were at least vaguely worrying. It wouldn't be Rukia; otherwise Ichigo wouldn't be concerned about leaving his son alone with her.

"That any of your business? I thought you didn't want anything to do with them anymore."

"I believe I have every right to know who will be trespassing on this town." He wasn't even pretending to get work done anymore, the atmosphere of one of their usual fights growing thick in the air.

Ichigo snorted. "What, you don't trust me to keep my guests in line?"

"Absolutely not."

Briefly disoriented, he stopped for a beat. "Okay, I walked into that, but seriously. If you don't trust them, that's more reason to give me the time off, right?"

"Kurosaki, you still haven't told me what shinigami will be coming here," Uryuu snapped. "If you don't intend to, please get out of my office. I have work to do, as do you."

"Fine. It's Nemu Kurotsuchi, if you want to know that badly."

Uryuu's pencil, along with the fragile remnants of his sanity, broke cleanly in half.

"Unacceptable!" he cried. "My pride as a Quincy will not allow-"

"Nobody cares about your damn 'pride of the-'"

"Shut up, Kurosaki!" He stood up, pounding his desk for emphasis, and Ichigo began to scan the room for anything he might use as a shield, in case Uryuu pulled out his bow. "You will send a return message to Soul Society, informing them that under no circumstances is that woman to come to Karakura town."

Ichigo almost smiled, but thought better of it. "No can do, I'm afraid."

"Why not?"

"Fresh out of Hell Butterflies," he replied sarcastically, turning his pockets inside-out to illustrate. "And anyway, you think I haven't tried telling them no? It doesn't work."

"Well, try harder, then!"

"What, and have her father show up unannounced to persuade me? I'm sure you'd love that."

Uryuu sank back into his chair, defeated but still twitching. "Fine. Take your time off, but so help me, Kurosaki, if she is so much as one hair out of line, I will kill you both. I swear it by my pride as a-"

"Yeah, yeah." Ichigo waved as he walked out of the office. "See you day after tomorrow, then."

Ichigo left the hospital, deciding to take a shortcut home rather than his normal route in order arrive home before Shinichi. His work as an EMT meant that he worked strange hours, but he liked to make sure he was at least home to greet his son. Having Ishida as his boss, while annoying at times, was certainly in his favor (and Ishida's, although the Quincy would never admit it); their current arrangement meant that they could cover for one another at work should a hollow appear. Or, as was the case this time, should a visitor arrive from Soul Society.

Turning the corner, Ichigo's eyes fell on a familiar building across the street and stopped short. He'd forgotten why he no longer used this particular shortcut. It was because the last time he'd seen this building, it had been the last time he'd seen his father...  
_  
...his father, pinned to a building by Gin's far-reaching bankai, like an overlarge, grotesque butterfly._

_"DAD!" Gin didn't even spare him a glance, keeping his eyes on his victim. "YOU BASTARD!" Ichigo roared, turning from Aizen, intent on saving his father._

_"Are you going to let that distract you, Kurosaki?" Ichigo instinctively ducked and felt Aizen's blade swishing over his head, a few stray hairs snicked off by its passing. "You're making this far too easy."_

_Ichigo half-turned, keeping Aizen in his line of vision; he couldn't take his eyes off Isshin, but turning his back on Aizen again would be deadly._

_"You would think that the son of Isshin Kurosaki would be able to offer more of a challenge, but I see that your father is not exactly living up to his name," Aizen said lightly, as if making a passing comment on the weather. "Watch your father die."_

_Isshin was free, but had crumpled, falling to his knees- Gin had retracted his blade, too fast for Ichigo to see, and was standing over Isshin, that same damned smile on his face, and-_

_"Too easy, Kurosaki."_

_A sharp pain in his back, his chest. Ichigo looked down, dazed, to see the blade of Kyoka Suigetsu had pierced through the center of his torso._

_"If you manage to find your father in another life, thank him for me," he heard Aizen say from somewhere behind him as the blade was wrenched from his back. "He raised a son weak enough to let himself get distracted by compassion." His vision began to grow hazy, and he felt his inner hollow tense, clawing at his mind, raging to be let _out_..._

_"Kurosaki-san... can you hear me?" This voice was familiar, but he couldn't place it._

_"Kurosaki! Wake up!" This one he could place easily. "If you're dead, I won't forgive you for it!"_

_"I'm awake, Ishida," Ichigo somehow managed, though his mind was filled with a strange, sucking blackness that threatened to pull him backwards. He forced his eyes open to see Ishida, trying very hard not to look concerned, and Unohana kneeling beside him. He realized something was strange about this. "How did you get here? And when-"_

_"I've been here for hours. It's over," said Ishida, relief spilling through his voice._

_"Over?"_

_"Yes, over."_

_"...Wait, over?"_

_"You sound like a parrot."_

_"He doesn't remember what happened, Ishida-san," Unohana chided. Ichigo shifted, propping himself up on his elbows. "I'm not finished here yet."_

_Ichigo didn't listen to her, turning his head to view the wreckage of the fake Karakura town. Among the rubble he caught a familiar orange glow. "Inoue? What's she doing here?"_

_"She came with me and Zaraki-taichou," Ishida explained. "She's unmaking the Hogyoku."_

_"Unmaking? But what about Aizen?"_

_"You killed him. There wasn't much left of him by the time we got here."_

_"I did?"_

_"Your Hollow form took over." Ichigo felt a sinking in his stomach. So he hadn't killed Aizen after all- that other part of him had. Ishida continued, "You were still hollowfied when we got here with Zaraki-taichou, even though you were almost cut in half. He fought you until you went down."_

_"Zaraki-taichou made an admirable effort, though I wish he'd put more care into the state he left you in," said Unohana, the smile on her face never wavering. Ichigo shuddered a little._

_"Wait- where's my dad?" Ichigo asked. Ishida didn't say anything. "Tell me, dammit! I need to see him!" Ichigo tried to sit up, but Unohana's hands at his shoulders stopped him._

_"Your father is dead," Unohana said gently, pushing him down again. "He died fighting against Ichimaru. Kira-fukutaichou was there; he can tell you a little more. But for now I need you to rest and let me heal you."_

Ichigo blinked several times and shook his head lightly as he kept walking, as if to clear away the memories of that day. He didn't want to arrive home in a foul mood- that would spoil all the fun.

Ichigo turned the knob of the front door very slowly, making sure to enter in near-silence. He had to find a decent hiding place before his son arrived home. He crept down the hall and passed the kitchen- only to find the boy sitting at the kitchen table.

"Oh, hi, Dad." Shinichi didn't even look up from his math book, the picture of concentration. "You're home a little later than I expected."

"You're keeping track now?" Ichigo said, straightening up from his rather stupid half-crouched position. "How am I supposed to have fun and scare you if you do that?"

He laughed. "So sorry for the inconvenience. If I'd known, I would have waited at school a little longer."

"Make it easier for me next time," Ichigo grumbled half-heartedly, pulling a chair out and plopping down next to Shinichi.

"Sure." Shinichi hopped out of his chair, scanning the room in mock distress with one hand shielding his eyes. "'Where, oh where, could my father be? Surely he's not in the coat closet right behind me!' Something like that?"

"Not really," Ichigo said, unable to hide his affectionate grin. "But you won't beat me tomorrow. Someone's stopping by from Soul Society, so I'll be home all day. She can be a little weird to talk to, so behave yourself."

"Yes, Dad," he replied. "You tell me that every time one of the Shinigami shows up, remember?"

"Oh yeah, but that's because it's important. And this one has an extra side of weird, so it's even more important."

"Okaaaay." Shinichi frowned, wondering what this person could possibly be like, to be weird by Shinigami standards. "She's not gonna try to fight me like that pink-haired girl, right?"

"Let's just say her father would be really interested in figuring out why your reiatsu levels are so high, and he would probably do the figuring out with a scalpel."

His eyes grew wide. "O-okay. I'll be good."

As it turned out (and Ichigo had no intention of allowing Ishida to find out, unless he wanted a couple fingers shot off for his trouble), Nemu was delayed, arriving only a few minutes before Shinichi came home from school and making his day off of work unnecessary.

"Shinichi," Ichigo said, noticing his son's barely-veiled uneasiness at the newcomer seated at their kitchen table, "this is Nemu Kurotsuchi, vice-captain of the Twelfth Division." Nemu nodded politely in Shinichi's direction.

Shinichi nodded in return, but didn't walk any further into the kitchen. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, almost mechanically.

"So... why were you chosen to come to Karakura Town? I mean, Kurotsuchi doesn't usually send you to the living world," Ichigo asked. He had hosted a multitude of Shinigami, but it was normally people he was close with. He had never had the opportunity to talk to Nemu, mostly because she was too busy following her father to talk to the Substitute Shinigami.

"Mayuri-sama volunteered me to collect Urahara-san's report, among other duties on this mission. He takes particular personal interest in this and would prefer that I be the one to enter Urahara-san's premises. He also thought you would not take offense at the nature of my mission. It is well known, after all, that you harbor some resentment for Urahara-san," Nemu said, her tone level and polite as always.

"Yeah, I guess..." Ichigo had done his best to keep his son apart from the meddling shopkeeper after discovering that Shinichi had enough reiatsu to possibly become a Shinigami himself. The birth of his inner Hollow at Urahara's hands had caused more problems than he could count, and even though its strength had allowed him to defeat Aizen, he certainly did not want Urahara interfering with his son's life. Shinichi shouldn't have to deal with the dual lifestyle that Ichigo led. "But wait, why wouldn't I mind that you're getting a report from Urahara?"

Shinichi laughed quietly from his place in the doorframe. "Come on, Dad. You don't get it yet? She's trying to spy on him!"

"Very astute, Shinichi-san," Nemu said with a small smile. Ichigo opened his mouth to complain about the implications of his stupidity from his son when he was interrupted by a strange whirring sound coming from Nemu's direction.

"What's that noise?"

Nemu looked down. "Oh dear." She lifted her right arm up from where it had been at her side, out of sight under the table. It was spinning frantically, having transformed into a drill. "There is something loose inside. I need a tune-up, but Mayuri-sama has been so busy lately." She brought her right elbow down sharply on the tabletop and the whirring stopped, her arm becoming a normal limb once more.

"WAUGH! What-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare, but-" Shinichi struggled to remember how to behave himself in the face of drill-arm. "Uh, Dad, is it okay if I go over to Satoshi's for a little while?"

Nemu's normally stoic expression changed at Shinichi's alarm, her eyes widening. Even Ichigo, with his terrible reiatsu-sensing skills, could feel the massive spike in the boy's reiatsu due to his surprise. "Go ahead. Just come back in time for dinner. I don't want Satoshi's dad to say I'm teaching you to mooch."

Shinichi nodded and practically sprinted out of the kitchen.

"Forgive my curiosity, Kurosaki-san," said Nemu waiting until she was sure Shinichi was out of earshot before continuing, "but Shinichi is not your biological son, is he? You share some traits, but not enough for there to be a father-son connection, and his reiatsu is different from yours. Who is he?"

Ichigo's frown deepened a little. "Shinichi is my nephew. I adopted him when he was a baby."

"Were his parents unsuited for raising a child?" Ichigo wondered if she knew what irony was.

"No." His semi-permanent frown became a dark scowl. "They were killed by a Hollow."

_It was raining. It was always raining on days like this, when pieces of his world fell away. While he thought it was stupid to harbor emotions against weather, Ichigo knew some part of him hated the rain. Too many bad things happened when it rained, and this reinforcement only served to justify his feelings._

_But how could he hate the rain when it made it look as though Yuzu and her husband were only sleeping? The blood rinsed away in bright rivulets from Yuzu's hair and the tracks of the Hollow were slowly vanishing under the rain's gentle ministrations. The only thing unnatural about his sister's position was the way Yuzu's body was curled around nothing, an empty space in her stiffening arms where her son would fit perfectly._

_Ichigo looked down at the baby in his arms, holding him awkwardly and shifting his position slightly to shield the boy from the rain. Shinichi looked back at him. He had been screaming at the top of his lungs when Ichigo had finally arrived, too late to save his sister, but his wails had turned into fussing as soon as Ichigo had dispatched the Hollow. He had picked up his nephew as soon as he knew that the boy's parents were gone, and the boy stopped crying immediately._

_"What am I going to do?" he found himself saying aloud, staring at the clouds, the empty park, anywhere but the bodies in front of him. He looked down at Shinichi once more; the baby was still looking up with a bright curiosity._

_Shinichi could see him in his Shinigami form, Ichigo realized belatedly. And he wasn't even a year old. Ichigo, even after twelve years, was still terrible at sensing reiatsu, but he knew that being able to see a Shinigami when so young was remarkable. His nephew clearly had high reiatsu levels- high enough to attract the attention of Hollows. Ichigo watched as Shinichi yawned and snuggled against Ichigo's chest for warmth. He held the boy close to him and stood up from where he had been kneeling by his sister. He didn't want to leave his sister's body, but Shinichi would get sick if he was in the rain any longer._

_What could he do with Shinichi? Giving him to Karin was out of the question- not after what had happened to Yuzu. Had his father still been alive, leaving Shinichi in his care would have been the best option. Putting his nephew in an orphanage or a foster home never crossed his mind. There was only one place where Ichigo would know that Yuzu's son would be safe, and that was with him._

_"I couldn't save Yuzu," he murmured into Shinichi's hair, "but I'll keep you safe." Ichigo supposed he couldn't hate the rain for hiding his tears, either.  
_  
"I am sorry to hear of your loss," said Nemu, her expression remaining unchanged. "But that does not explain your son's reiatsu- I would understand if he were your biological son, but as I recall your sister did not even have much spiritual awareness."

"It's probably because I've raised him. My reiatsu might have had an effect on him, so that's why he's so strong. That's all." This conversation was edging uncomfortably closer to one he'd had with Rukia several years ago.

_"He makes me uncomfortable, Ichigo." Ichigo looked up from his sleeping son, having just laid the four-year-old down for an afternoon nap, to see Rukia looking at him seriously from the doorway._

_"What? You don't like kids?" Ichigo turned and left Shinichi's room, closing the door and turning to face Rukia and Renji where they had been waiting for him in the hall._

_"It's not that," Rukia said, shaking her head. "It's something else. He seems... different. Off. I'm not sure how to explain it. He's familiar somehow, too. Something about his reiatsu."_

_"He's probably familiar because he's related to me," said Ichigo a little stiffly, offended on Shinichi's behalf. "What do you think, Renji?"_

_"Your kid doesn't make me feel funny like he does Rukia, but there's definitely something weird about him," said Renji with a halfway-apologetic shrug._

_Ichigo scowled. "Well what do you want me to do about it? He's a kid."_

_"You could have someone from Soul Society test his reiatsu," Rukia offered. "Judging by what I sense from him, he could be very strong someday. Unohana-soutaichou will want to watch him."_

_"And have him become another Substitute Shinigami like me, if he is strong? No thanks," Ichigo scoffed._

_"I'm serious, Ichigo, there's something about him-"_

_Ichigo cut her off. "If you don't like him, then you don't have to come see him."_

_"No, it's not that I don't like him-"_

_"Then what is it? He's Yuzu's son," Ichigo snapped. "I can't see what the problem is. Just leave him alone!"_

Ichigo braced himself for more prying questions about Shinichi's strength, but to his surprise they did not come. "Of course, Kurosaki-san," said Nemu quietly. She did not press the issue further.

The next day, Nemu returned to Soul Society, and their conversation concerning Shinichi slipped from Ichigo's mind entirely, lost in a tirade from Ishida about welcoming representatives of _that_ division into his house. In any case, he did not think anything would come of Nemu's polite interest in his son- she was always a little odd to talk to after spending her whole life serving Kurotsuchi. Later on, however, he would curse himself for not spotting the danger sooner.


	2. Prelude for the Straying Stars

"...and it was so weird! She was pretty normal almost the whole time, but then she just whipped out this drill arm! Bzzzzzzz!" Shinichi gestured wildly to illustrate. "...And that's when I left."

Satoshi sighed, uncharacteristically serious for a ten year old. "I _know_. You've told me about a hundred times. Anyways, you know you're not supposed to tell me about Shinigami stuff. If dad heard you he'd make you go home." Satoshi leaned back in his desk chair, looking at Shinichi sprawled out on his floor.

He grinned, undeterred. "Oh, he's not going to hear me! And anyway, isn't it normal to tell you about the people who come visit? It's not my fault they're Shinigami."

"Maybe, but I don't think dad'll see it like that. You know how he is."

"Yeah, I guess so. Why's he so uptight, anyway?"

Satoshi paused, taking off his glasses and wiping the lenses on the hem of his shirt while he thought about it. "I'm not really sure," he said slowly. "He's just had... let's say bad history with Shinigami."

"Huh," Shinichi replied, rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling. "It's kinda weird that he's such good friends with my dad, then. I mean, Dad's not too friendly with most of them, but there are a few who are over all the time, like Miss Rukia."

"You know, I think dad knows her... somehow..." Satoshi was interrupted in his musings by Ishida poking his head in the door.

"Have you packed yet, Satoshi? You know your mother will be here in an hour."

"Yes, dad," Satoshi grumbled. "I did it already so you wouldn't pack for me like you did last time, remember?"

"Was there something wrong with that?" Ishida looked genuinely puzzled.

"You somehow put half my closet into my bag, and I was only gone a weekend."

"You never know what could happen," said Ishida pragmatically. "And Shinichi, your father called. He wants you home in time for dinner."

"Okay." Shinichi turned back to Satoshi as Ishida left. "So, you doing anything fun with your mom this weekend?"

"Not really. Just making the monthly visit to keep her happy," Satoshi said with surprising cynicism. "I'd rather stay here, to be honest."

"Oh. That sucks, but at least it's only a couple days, right?"

"Yeah." Satoshi gathered up a few books from his desk and slipped them into his bookbag, which he tossed onto the ground next to the bag with his clothes. "Want to come over again when I get back Sunday?"

"Yeah, sure!" He glanced at the clock and frowned. "I should be getting home though, or Dad'll worry. See you in a few days, then!"

* * *

Nemu Kurotsuchi, Unohana-soutaichou reflected, was not precisely what you would call a breath of fresh air, but amidst the sea of subordinates who enjoyed making their reports more exciting, Nemu stuck to the bare facts: clean, clinical, and scientific. Each meeting with her was quick and to-the-point, which Unohana greatly appreciated. Unohana sipped her tea before setting the cup down with a small click on the table. "Thank you for your report, Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou. I am glad to know that everything is well in Karakura Town. You have performed admirably."

"Thank you, soutaichou." Nemu did not move from her seat in spite of Unohana's gentle dismissal.

"Is there something else?" How unusual.

"It is something unrelated to the report. I am uncertain that it is appropriate for me to ask."

"By all means, ask."

"Do you know of Kurosaki-san's son?" Unohana nodded, wondering what Nemu could want to know of the boy. The most she had heard was that Kurosaki's boy was a bright child; beyond that, she knew little. The substitute Shinigami was almost obsessively protective of his son. "His reiatsu is strangely strong, even though he is not a direct descendant of Kurosaki-san. Kurosaki-san said it was likely that he was so strong because of his own influence."

"Ah, I see. And you are troubled by this reason?"

"A little," Nemu admitted. "His reiatsu feels... different from Kurosaki-san's, as much as I can tell. Generally, with blood relations, there are some similarities. But his son's has a different quality to it. I was unable to tell precisely what it was, as I believe I made him nervous and he made it a point to avoid me after our first meeting."

Nemu hesitated before continuing. "I believe it would be best if someone were to investigate this. I am concerned that perhaps the boy may one day become strong enough to attract a higher grade of Hollow, which would negatively influence Karakura Town. Kurosaki-san, as strong as he is, cannot manage all the threats at once."

"And what do you propose we do about this, Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou?" Unohana was delighted to see Nemu voicing her own opinion.

"I suggest someone be sent to examine the boy's reiatsu, someone he does not know, but non-threatening. Their judgment will not be clouded on the matter. Although perhaps it would be better to send someone who scares him, so they might get a better sense of his reiatsu..."

Unohana winced. "Perhaps not. I will, however, select someone to meet Kurosaki-san's son. Thank you, Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou."

Nemu nodded, placed her own tea on the table and left, leaving Unohana to consider who would be best to meet this child. A captain would be far too busy for such a small thing- perhaps a vice-captain, one who deserved a break and a small trip to the living world. She frowned slightly as she considered this, then called out, "Sasakibe-fukutaichou?"

"Yes, soutaichou?" The vice-captain of first division entered from where he had been waiting while Nemu spoke to Unohana.

"The vice-captains of Fifth and Third Divisions- what are they currently doing?"

"Hinamori-fukutaichou is involved with training some new recruits to her squad and has expressed a desire to remain with them in order to 'create unity in the division'. Kira-fukutaichou has just returned from a scouting mission to Hueco Mundo to see what remains of Las Noches."

"Thank you, Sasakibe. Would you please send Kira-fukutaichou to me? I have a task for him."

* * *

"You sent for me, Unohana-soutaichou?" Kira bowed deferentially to her, privately wishing he'd had a little more time to clean up before he had been summoned. The gritty sand of Hueco Mundo's desert still clung to him, and he felt as though he must be leaving a trail of it through Fourth Division, which Unohana had maintained as her own even after her appointment as Captain Commander.

"Yes, Kira-fukutaichou. Please sit down." She gestured to the seat in front of her, and he obeyed.

Kira pulled a small notebook from one of his sleeves. "I haven't had time to write a formal report on the state of Las Noches, but I can summarize what I found, if you need to hear it this urgently. Hollow activity is—"

Unohana cut him off gently. "Thank you, but I didn't call you here for your report; I trust you will submit it promptly. There is another mission I would like you to complete, in the human world."

He looked up, vaguely surprised. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Are you aware that Ichigo Kurosaki has a son?"

"I am; Renji has told me about him a few times."

"Good. Recently, Kurotsuchi-taichou sent his daughter on a research mission to the human world, and she reported feeling something strange about the boy's reiatsu while she was in Kurosaki's house: something beyond what you would expect of any child related to him. I'd like you to investigate any possible causes of this and evaluate the risks this boy may pose to himself or to the rest of Karakura town." Her voice was gentle, but it still took nearly all of Kira's courage to protest.

"…Unohana-soutaichou, I'm afraid I don't understand why you've chosen me for this mission. My place as a vice-captain is with my division, especially since I've been away so long." He had resisted similarly when sent to Hueco Mundo, and on every other mission in the past twenty-one years, seemingly unwilling to let his subordinates or, especially, his captain, out of his sight.

She smiled beneficently. "Your concern is excusable, but I will not change your orders. You are a vice-captain, Izuru Kira. Part of the responsibility of your position is allowing others the freedom to act on their own. I know, as you should, that Outoribashi-taichou is both capable and loyal: certainly able to run the Third for the brief time you will be gone."

"Yes, ma'am." Kira hung his head, chastised.

"Additionally, I chose you because Kurosaki trusts you. The two of you are not close enough that I would worry about your judgment being impaired, but, because of his father…"

"I see." Kira's perpetual frown deepened. Ichigo Kurosaki respected him more than most other Shinigami because Kira had been present when his father died and had, in Ichigo's mind, avenged him by killing Ichimaru.

_Kira, still trying vainly to stabilize Matsumoto, calling up half-remembered kidou in an attempt to fill in the awful hole in her side, had only watched as his former captain took to the field of battle, watched as he impaled that man—Isshin Kurosaki, he had heard._

_Now he rose, unnoticed by any of the combatants, Wabisuke heavy at his side. He dampened his reiatsu and made his way toward Ichimaru, taking advantage of the rubble around them to hide his approach._

_There was no honor to be gained in battle, he reminded himself as Isshin struggled to pull himself up again, soaked in blood. If he had learned one thing from his captain, that was it. Codes of conduct and the hope for glory meant nothing. _

_His smile almost playful, Gin laughed, pinning Isshin to a wall once more. "You just don't know when to give up, do ya? Wouldn't ya rather just die peacefully?"_

_Kira was soundless as he drew his sword, whispering its invocation and watching it reveal his purpose, its angled blade suited only for execution. For the moment, Ichimaru seemed content to gloat over his victory, and Kira felt the surge of reiatsu that meant Aizen and Ichigo Kurosaki were well occupied._

_He forced his trembling hands still, then flash-stepped behind Ichimaru, swinging Wabisuke in an arc that brought it to encircle the traitor's neck. Feeling it catch, he flash-stepped again, straight back, and watched the spray of blood that leaped up as the head of the man he had once blindly followed tumbled to the ground._

_The essence of war was despair. As vice-captain of the Third Division, he knew this well. Not even the victor was exempt, he thought, as he picked his way through the carnage toward the two bodies in front of him._

_Isshin was dead before he reached him, but he closed the man's eyes before turning to the second corpse. Ichimaru's white clothing was stained dark with blood, his head in the dirt near his feet. Unable to look away, he stood there, Wabisuke in hand, until Renji appeared at his side, having recently arrived from Hueco Mundo. With a firm grip on his arm, he steered Kira back to where the surviving Shinigami were gathered._

Really, he had done nothing for Isshin. Killing his captain was something he had done for himself and, more abstractly, for everyone who survived, but he could see why Ichigo thought differently. "I will take the mission, then," he continued with more resolve.

"I appreciate your understanding. Please make any necessary preparations and report to the Senkaimon as soon as you are able." Unohana nodded her dismissal, and Kira stood to leave, a little calmer. A short trip to the human world might not be so bad. He was still on edge from Las Noches, where even the air reminded him of things he'd rather forget. Although he had met Ichigo under unfortunate circumstances, it might be nice to spend time with him and his son.

* * *

Satoshi opened the door to his room, tossed down his backpack and duffel bag, and collapsed onto his bed with a discontented sigh. School tomorrow. At least the weekend was over. At least he was back in the home he preferred. Shifting slightly, Satoshi heard the crinkle of papers beneath him, hidden underneath his mattress. A smirk grew across his face. He'd forgotten about those.

Not twenty minutes later, after he had barely finished unpacking, Shinichi walked into his room, uninvited and unannounced. "That was fast," Satoshi said, idly flicking through one of his textbooks. "Are you _ever_ going to tell me how you know when I get back?"

"And lose all the mystery?" Shinichi replied, flopping into the desk chair, a broad smile on his face. "I wouldn't dream of it!"

"You're doing it again," Satoshi said, snapping his book shut. "That weird grin. Cut it out."

"Really?" His facial expression did not shift in the slightest. "It bothers you that much, huh?"

"No." Satoshi rolled his eyes. "Why do I put up with you?"

"What other choice do you have? It's not like there's anyone else as awesome as me around here!" Shinichi laughed triumphantly. "I mean, where would you find a better partner in crime?"

"I probably couldn't," Satoshi admitted, rising from his bed and closing the door. "That reminds me, I need to find a way to get rid of these." Satoshi returned to the bed and slid a hand under the mattress, pulling out a stack of exam papers. "I wonder what our teacher's going to say in school tomorrow? Think she'll tell us they're gone?"

"Maybe. Either she'll think someone stole them and read us the riot act, or she'll think she lost them and pretend nothing's happened." Struck by malicious inspiration, Shinichi continued. "Do you want to ask her about them? You should pretend you're so concerned about how you did that you just can't wait to see the results!"

"I should," Satoshi said, a rare grin of his own spreading over his face. "I _was_ very concerned that I did badly- and you were too." So they had removed the source of their concern, the tests themselves, along with every single other test. "You shouldn't say a word, though. If she thinks someone stole them, she probably will blame you."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. " Shinichi waved distractedly as he talked. "It's a pain that she always suspects me, but I guess it's better that way, 'cause she'll trust you with anything."

"It is, because one of us has to look good, after all." Satoshi thumbed through the exams, skimming the answers the other students and wincing slightly when he saw his paper. "Yes, it's a good thing we took these. I did terribly. And so did you," he added when he caught sight of Shinichi's handwriting and read through his answers. He frowned and rolled the stack up into a tube. "What should we do with these?"

"Well, burning them would be good, but I don't know where we could set a fire that wouldn't be seen." He paused a moment. "When's burnable trash day, again? We could just slip them into someone else's can then."

"In a couple days, I think. I think I can risk my dad not finding them until then. But if he does, we're both in trouble."

Shinichi winced. "Yeah, that would be bad. But how often does he look under your mattress, anyway?"

"It's not a matter of looking under my mattress- I think he wants to wash the sheets this week, and I don't want him to find the papers that way."

"Oh, okay." Shinichi suppressed his usual confusion about how scheduled life was in the Ishida household—for him and his father, laundry day was a sudden, violent affair whenever Ichigo decided that it had been too long since the last one. "There's got to be somewhere else you can put them, though."

Satoshi shrugged. "Maybe I can find a place." The truth was, Satoshi had lots of secret hiding spots; three kinds, in fact: places that his father knew about and Satoshi let him know about, places that Shinichi knew about, and then places that only he knew. He simply did not want something so incriminating in his care. They had never done something with such severe consequences before.

"Maybe's not very reassuring." Shinichi frowned. "We really need to be sure these are safe."

"Hey, do you think you can do better than I can?" Satoshi scoffed.

Shinichi's grin reappeared. "Of course I can! I'd hide them so well that even if they were looking for them for _years,_ nobody would ever find them."

"Then _you_ take them, if you're so great," Satoshi grumbled. "And stop grinning like that."

"All right, I will!" Shinichi grabbed up the papers and shoved them into his backpack, though without any real anger. "I should probably get these home so I can hide them pretty soon, then."

"I guess," said Satoshi with a scowl. "Show-off."

Shinichi laughed. "Just because I'm better at hiding things doesn't make me a show-off." He turned and left the room as quickly as he had come, calling out behind him, "I'll see you at school tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow," Satoshi echoed, closing the door behind his friend before flopping down on the bed again with a satisfied smile on his face. Too easy.

* * *

"Oh, Kira-kun!" Kira looked up from his desk, where he was attending to the most important paperwork before his departure, to see Hinamori waving at him from the doorway.

"Hello, Hinamori-san," he greeted her, returning his attention to one last document.

Hinamori entered the office and sat on a chair in front of his desk. "Kira-kun, I heard you're being sent out again. I thought you only just came back, though?"

"I did," Kira confirmed, "but Unohana-soutaichou has requested that I investigate some unusual reiatsu in the living world. I will be leaving in less than an hour."

"Oh," Hinamori said with disappointment. "When you come back, we should spend some time together! It's been so long, and we've both been so busy."

"It has been a long time. I will send you a hell butterfly when I return," Kira said, the ghost of a smile passing over his face.

"Good!" said Hinamori, rising from her seat. "Well, I need to go- I was only stopping in to see how you were. Hirako-taichou wants to talk to me about the new recruits. Have a good trip! I'll see you when you get back!" She left the office with a little wave.

True to his word, within the hour Kira stood before the Senkaimon, ready to enter Karakura Town and meet Ichigo Kurosaki's son.


	3. Awaken to the Threat

Kira approached the Kurosaki household in the late afternoon, some amount of trepidation coursing through him as the sun began to set. It was not as though he was displeased to be in Karakura Town- it simply brought back a few memories, memories which he was all too willing to keep locked away. He had not seen Ichigo for an extended amount of time since he had explained what had happened to Isshin, his tone flat, his gaze flickering to one side as he recounted his attack.

Although he was in Ichigo's good graces thanks to his role in killing Ichimaru, Kira was not optimistic enough to think that he would allow a representative of Soul Society to talk to his son alone, unless it was someone he knew very well, such as Abarai or Rukia. Ichigo was still working; Kira had made sure of that before venturing towards the house.

A block away, Kira frowned slightly more than his normal expression. He could not sense the supposed prodigious reiatsu of this boy at all. A closer inspection of the house showed him why; he could sense very strong kidou barriers, presumably created by Rukia, worked to shield reiatsu from escaping the walls of the building. A smart move, as it protected the boy when Ichigo could not be there. Kira hoped the barriers did not also prevent individuals from entering, although he was sure he could work his way around that.

Arriving on the front step, Kira rang the doorbell, waiting for the Kurosaki boy to answer.

After a few moments, Shinichi opened the door, his reiatsu spilling out from behind it. "Hi," he said, looking at Kira with mild suspicion. "Are you one of Dad's friends? Only I've never seen you before..."

"I-" Kira froze as Shinichi's reiatsu washed over him, blood draining from his features. The familiarity of it nearly caused him to reel back; as it was, he brought a hand to his forehead and went weak at the knees, bracing his other hand against the wall of the house for support. This was a presence he hadn't sensed for years. It couldn't possibly be-

No. _No._

Shinichi frowned, and pushed the door further open. "...You okay? You haven't been attacked by Hollows or anything, have you?" Genuine concern shone in his eyes as he looked for any sign of injury.

Kira pushed himself back up, putting a little distance between them. "No- no- I am-" Kira sucked in a few deep breaths, rubbing his temples with his thumb and forefinger to hide the trembling of his fingers. "I am fine," he finally managed, although that was quite clearly a lie. "My name is Izuru Kira. I am vice-captain of Third Division. You are-"

_You are Gin Ichimaru._

He swallowed hard. "You are Ichigo Kurosaki's son?" _Please, I hope you are not, for Kurosaki's sake._

"Y-yeah." There was an uncomfortable pause as he looked at Kira expectantly. Receiving no response beyond a greater look of horror, he continued. "Um, do you want to come in? You can stay here until my dad gets back from work, an' I'm sure he can help with whatever's wrong. ...You're not gonna cry, are you?"

"No... no, I apologize." Kira ran a hand over his face. _No, I don't want to come in- I do not want to be around this child a moment longer. I can't do this._ "I will only stay for a few minutes. I have business elsewhere." He refrained from entering the house until the boy stepped back to let him in, not wanting to get any closer to him than necessary.

Shinichi led the way to their kitchen, eyeing the cluttered counters, a little self-conscious. "Do you want anything to drink? You really don't look so good."

Kira shook his head, lowering himself into a chair that was on the opposite side of the kitchen table from Shinichi. "No, thank you. I am fine. I had... a bit of a shock," he finished lamely. Kira did his best to keep from staring; Shinichi's reiatsu was undeniably that of Ichimaru, and yet he was clearly related to Kurosaki based on his facial features. His stomach churned.

"Okay..." Shinichi settled himself in the most convenient chair. "You said you were from Third Division, right? I haven't heard too much about that one. What's it like?"

"It is a hard-working squad," Kira said after a moment, wishing that the boy had asked about anything else. "I appreciate the effort my subordinates and my captain put forth." He paused, trying to think of something to steer them from these dangerous topics. "I'm sorry, but I do not think I know your name."

"Oh, sorry!" He laughed softly, embarrassed at himself. "I'm Shinichi-like i said earlier, Ichigo Kurosaki is my dad. How do you know him, anyway? I don't remember him talking about you at all..."

"I... I don't imagine he would," Kira said quietly, his fingers digging into his knee underneath the table. "I was there when your grandfather died." _And when I killed you. Why aren't you dead? You were supposed to stay dead!_

Wabisuke hung heavily at his waist. _I could do it again. It would be so easy..._

"Oh. That makes sense, I guess." Sensing the way Kira's mood had plummeted yet again, Shinichi changed topics. "You sure you don't want anything? I'm getting kind of hungry, so..." He pulled his chair against the counter to rummage in one of the upper cupboards.

Kira winced as he watched Shinichi struggling to reach the higher shelves. _I can't do that. I can't kill him. He's just a boy, too small even to get to high cupboards without help_. "No. I honestly could not eat anything."

"All right." Shinichi leaned precariously over to one cabinet, letting out a cry of triumph as he reached into it. "Hah! I knew Dad bought some the other day!" He jumped off the chair, clutching a bag of dried persimmons and grinning.

Kira blanched and rose to his feet abruptly, knocking his chair back. _Your face, Ichimaru- I can see it in this boy's smile. _"I have to leave," Kira said miserably, his hand nervously straying to the hilt of Wabisuke. "Don't- don't tell your father I was here, I'll find him later."

"Um, okay." Shinichi's grin disappeared, to be replaced with intense confusion. "I won't, but... What's the matter?"

"I..." Kira headed for the front door, not entirely willing to turn his back on Shinichi. "I can't stay here. I- I just- I need to leave," he repeated, his hand resting on the doorknob.

"Oh. Well, it's been good to meet you... Your name is Izuru, right?" He waved as Kira left. "Bye-bye!"

Kira's eyes widened in horror. Without returning the goodbye, he fled, slamming the front door behind him and cutting off the nauseating reiatsu as he used shunpo to make his escape.

Although the boy's reiatsu vanished from his perception as soon as the door shut, Kira continued to flee until his legs gave out and he collapsed, paper-white and trembling, against an unfamiliar building. Shinichi's face lingered in his mind as he struggled to get his breathing under control and convince himself that none of this had ever happened. Gin Ichimaru was dead, he told himself. No matter how horribly familiar the reiatsu, or the smile, or—

He shook his head to clear it, but his thoughts spun dizzily, and he gripped Wabisuke more tightly in an attempt to stay vaguely upright. He couldn't handle this. And Unohana-soutaichou—had she _known_ what he would find, to send him, specifically, on this mission? It seemed too fitting, but… she was not a cruel woman, unless he had badly misjudged her all these years. He'd learned, though, that his own judgment could not be trusted in such things, and the doubt remained.

In an attempt to drive these thoughts away, Kira forced himself to examine his surroundings. Unsurprisingly, he didn't recognize anything: he had spent very little time in Karakura Town, and his clearest memories of it were really its replica, crushed into rubble by the protracted battle or cut down by Ichimaru's bankai. The buildings here were run-down, though, and there were few people in sight. If he were human, this would probably be the worst neighborhood in which to have a breakdown; as it was, it suited him, far enough from either Kurosaki to feel somewhat safe. Ichigo was unlikely to notice him anyway, oblivious as he was, but he could not stand a confrontation with him now.

Breathing more slowly, Kira began to focus on opening the Senkaimon, but Shinichi's face, the nearly-tangible strength of his reiatsu, rose up in his mind, pushing everything else away. Defeated, he sank to the ground with a muffled sob, abandoning any pretense of functionality. The little control he'd kept over his reiatsu fell to pieces, and he let it pour out from him freely, almost hoping it would attract a Menos or something stronger.

There were a few moments of silence before anything happened, and when it did, no Hollows appeared, only a man in geta and a striped hat whom Kira belatedly recognized as Kisuke Urahara.

"Ah, Kira-fukutaichou! I certainly didn't expect to find you when I went for my afternoon constitutional!" The obvious lie fell from his lips so smoothly that it made Kira's skin crawl, and he looked away.

"...Urahara-san. I must ask that you leave me to compose myself privately."

"Leave you here in such a state? I don't think my conscience would allow that!" He reached a hand down to Kira, blithely ignoring the way he flinched instinctively. "I _insist_ that you come back to my shop with me. You can tell me what's bothering you so much over a good cup of tea. Or something stronger," he added, seeing the look on Kira's face.

Kira briefly considered refusing Urahara's offer, but the promise of drinking was too attractive at this point. He took the hand that was offered him and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, his free hand brushing against Wabisuke as if the blade offered him some comfort. Urahara led him back to his store, chattering merrily and lightly all the way, not requiring a response from Kira, something for which he was grateful. They reached his back room and Urahara bid Kira to sit, rummaging about in the cabinet in the corner.

"What would you like, Kira-fukutaichou?" Urahara asked over his shoulder. "I've got anything you could want. Sake, rum, gin-"

Kira's face fell. "Sake," he said firmly, cutting Urahara off. He downed the first cup Urahara set in front of him as quickly as he could.

Kira carried on drinking like that, quickly losing the edge of his pain, which made him feel slightly better, but also loosening his tongue, which in retrospect was likely the cause of many, many problems.

"So, what brought you to Karakura Town today?" Urahara asked from his seat across the table, sipping a cup of tea. His voice had lost its former levity; now that Kira seemed more willing to talk to him, it was unnecessary.

Kira groaned, sliding further down so that his head rested on the table. "...was a mission from Unohana-soutaichou," he muttered.

"Aha, I see. And does the thought of following Unohana-soutaichou's commands distress you so much that you would hide in an alley and release your control over your reiatsu?" Urahara rested his arms against the table, leaning forward slightly.

"No! It's not-I'm a loyal vice-captain..." He pounded the table for emphasis. "But.. I was supposed to look in on Kurosaki's son. And..."

"How is the boy?" Urahara asked brightly. "I've never met him. Kurosaki-san is dreadfully overprotective. I've heard rumor that he's quite strong."

"He-" Kira shuddered as he remembered the boy and his terrifyingly familiar face. "...yes. That's why-" He cut himself off, sobbing into his arms. "But why _him_?"

"Has the child done something to you? Do I need to have a word with Kurosaki-san about how he's raising his son?" Urahara's tone was not as jovial as it could have been, but it was still fairly light, considering the fact that there was a sobbing Shinigami in front of him.

"...No. It's not..." Shaking his head, Kira vainly tried to compose himself, managing only to make the room sway unsettlingly. "Ichimaru-taichou... how?"

Urahara's eyes widened slightly under the brim of his hat. "Now that's an unexpected development, Kira-fukutaichou. What are you trying to say, you spot an uncanny resemblance between the boy and Ichimaru? That's hardly fair of you to say, I'm sure Kurosaki-san's son doesn't have a squint."

Kira glared up at him with all the animosity he could muster. "No! That's not it. D'you think I can't rego-can't recognize my own captain's reiatsu?"

"Ah," Urahara said, falling into a pensive silence, ignoring Kira's glare entirely. After a moment, he spoke. "Kira-fukutaichou, you seem unsettled. Would it help to stay the night until you feel better?"

"No, thanks. I... should get back." Kira rose unsteadily, still holding on to the table for support. "...don't want to stay here."

"At the very least, allow me to open the senkaimon for you."

He considered for a moment, eventually coming to the realization that he was in no state to do so himself. "...Thank you. That would be good."

"Wonderful." Urahara stood and led Kira to his underground training facility, watching the Shinigami carefully on the ladder to ensure he didn't lose his footing in his drunken state. After making the necessary preparations, he turned to Kira. "It's been a pleasure talking to you, vice-captain. Don't be afraid to stop by my shop if you're ever in the area!"

Kira did not reply, only stumbled through the gate without looking back, eager to leave Karakura town behind him.

The other side of the senkaimon did not offer him the relief he had hoped for. The many lights of one of the better districts of Rukongai shone around him and, after taking a moment to orient himself, Kira made a drunken beeline for the nearest bar. The events of his afternoon would surely justify any amount of alcohol.

Not half an hour later, Momo entered the same establishment, concern flitting across her face as she spotted Kira. "Kira-kun!" she called, making her way over to where he was drinking listlessly. "Are you all right? Your reiatsu is out of control- I could sense it the minute you came back."

"...Hinamori-san?" Kira barely looked up from his drink. "Sorry t' worry you..."

She placed a hand on his shoulder gently. "What's wrong?"

"Ichimaru-taichou-I saw him today."

Hinamori frowned. "That's impossible, Kira-kun." She squeezed his shoulder slightly, saddened to see her friend like this.

"No, you don't-" Kira gestured inarticulately. "He wasn't... him."

"Kira-kun, I think you've had enough. You're not making any sense. Should I take you back to Third Division?"

"NO!" He jumped, as if startled by his own shout. "...sorry, Hi-Hinamori-san. I... don't want to go back there, now. An' I'm not crazy. He..."

"All right, all right, we don't have to go back yet," Hinamori soothed, rubbing her hand in small circles on his shoulder. "And I don't think you're crazy. I never said you were crazy."

"...you were thinking it." He shook the hair out of his eyes, sighing when it fell back to its usual place. "I did see him, though, but... he's a little boy now." Kira let his head fall, hitting his glass with a dull thunk.

Hinamori's hand stopped moving for a moment. "What?"

"Th' Captain Commander sent me t' look at Kurosaki's son," he muttered. "I got to the door, and-"

The worry on Hinamori's face drained away, replaced by understanding, fear, and a hint of rage. "Kurosaki's son is Ichimaru reborn?" she whispered.

"Yes," he said, pain audible in his voice. "I couldn't even stay in their house for very long."

Hinamori's face hardened, her fingers tightening on Kira's shoulder. "Don't worry, Kira-kun. I'll fix this. Let's get you back."

Kira, still unwilling to return to Third Division, put up some resistance. "...told you, Hinamori-san, I don't want t' go back..."

"You don't understand, Kira-kun," Hinamori said, an unsettling calm spreading through her tone. "I'm getting you back to your room, and then I'm going to go make the cause of your problem disappear." She took one of Kira's arms and put it across her shoulders, wrapping one arm about his waist and hoisting him up so he was standing with her support.

"...'kay." Kira wobbled, but followed her lead, paying little attention to anything but staying upright. "Thanks for th' help," he added.

"Don't worry about it. I hate to see you so upset." Hinamori walked Kira all the way back to Third Divison, making sure that he laid down to sleep off the alcohol in his system before returning to her own room. Pacing the floor, she poured over what Kira had told her until it was nearly light outside.

So Ichigo Kurosaki's son was none other than Gin Ichimaru reincarnated. The snake, the traitor, the one who had left with Tousen and Aizen-tai... with Aizen. And Kurosaki hadn't told anyone. Neither had any of the Shinigami who'd had contact with the boy, for that matter. Didn't they see the danger? How could they miss it? Ichimaru was a _threat_. Why allow this threat to grow? Why not nip it in the bud?

By the time the sun rose, Hinamori's decision was made. She would find the Kurosaki boy and kill him. Her eyes, darkened from anger and lack of sleep, had a steely resolve. She would likely be punished for this by Soul Society if Kurosaki didn't track her down first, but in time everyone would know she'd done it for the greater good. He _had_ to be stopped before he could do any harm. Snatching Tobiume from where it leaned in the corner, she set off for the senkaimon.


End file.
